Daddy Dearest
by alex the bordercollie
Summary: Over 30 years have passed since Discords reformation. But it seems he hasn't entirely escaped is villainous past as an old creation of his comes back to tear his new found family asunder. Now a married man with two grown boys, his wife and sons are in for a surprise as they learn of his long lost daughter Screwball.
1. Chapter 1

Archie stood motionless in the doorway for a moment. He held a suitcase in his hooves as he stood before his old bedroom on the second floor of Fluttershy's cottage. The green wooden floor felt familiar beneath bare hooves. That wasn't all that was familiar. His older brothers bed remained pressed against the left wall as it always had. His brother never did move out so the space was very clearly lived it. Metal band posters were plastered all over the left wall and the bed was woefully unmade. A few inappropriate magazines sat on the bed and nightstand in plain view.

Despite this it was what rested against the right wall which left him frozen in place. This was his first time staying with his parents since he had moved out over a year ago. His old bed still rested against the wall as it always had. A few of his favorite foalhood books sat on the nightstand and their old toy box rested between the two beds untouched. Slowly Archie crept over to his old bed brushing a hoof along his old nightstand. It was pristine. A sudden voice made him jump slightly.

"Hey Archie!" Chaos blurted enthusiastically behind him. Archie spun around to greet his brother. Chaos had a habit of sneaking up on him ever since they were foals.

"Will you ever stop doing that?" Archie breathed with mild frustration.

"It's not my fault you're so jumpy." Chaos remarked. "I made sure to keep your side of the room clean for you, in case you needed it, you know."

Archie looked up at his older brother with a touch of surprise as the weight of Chaos' words truly hit him. His notoriously, slovenly, irresponsible brother, whom had never done his own laundry a day in his life, had purposefully, and regularly, washed Archie's old sheets and dusted his nightstand.

"Why, thank you." Archie stammered.

His brother gave him a toothy grin. The kind of proud, childish smile he often flashed in his moments of personal triumph. "C'mon, Mom's making Hearths Warming dinner and you promised to help."

"Of course, I'll be down in a moment." Archie replied. Chaos darted off downstairs leaving his younger brother alone in their time capsule of a room.

Chaos was the elder brother by six years. Despite their age gap however Archie was always the more responsible of the two. While Chaos remained in their parents home devoid of any real responsibility, Archie had gotten a job working as Princess Twilight's librarian and purchased a small cottage of his own. Memories of Hearths Warmming's past fluttered through his mind as he placed his suitcase on the bed. As different as they were, and as much as they argued, it was profoundly comforting to know his brother had kept a place for him. The thought made him smile. It was a sweet but naive gesture. Archie would have been fine sleeping on the couch.

After unpacking some of his personal effects he made his way downstairs to find his father and brother working together to decorate the tree. They were laughing and making a mess as per usual. Discord had managed to tangle his lanky frame in a long string of popcorn. As soon as he noticed his other son at the base of the steps he waved to him excitedly.

"Archie over here! I could use some help!" Archie shook his head and clapped his hooves together. With a light "Poof" the popcorn strings disappeared leaving behind a rather disappointed Discord.

"Aw you take the fun out of everything!" He complained.

"Yah!" Chaos chimed in, "You can't just use magic to fix everything!"

"Can't I?" Archie challenged with a playful raise of his brow. "I have to help mom with dinner." With that Archie shuffled off to the kitchen before they could drag him into their shared madness. He never really did share his father and brothers sense of humor. While Discord used his magic to mischievous ends, and Chaos' magic was taken from him as punishment for his misconduct, Archie preferred to be practical with his power. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his mother chopping carrots in the kitchen. Her hips swung lightly as she hummed softly to herself.

"Not in the mood to play games?" Fluttershy asked without so much as a tilt of her head. She always did have a great sense of her sons. That maternal instinct that meant she always seemed to know just what they were up to.

"Well I couldn't just leave you without your kitchen buddy," Archie chuckled as he removed his ascot and rolled up his sleeves. Taking his place beside his mother she directed him to a bowl of unpeeled potatoes. Fluttershy used to call him her "kitchen buddy" when he was a foal as he was always eager to help her with the cooking. It wasn't so much about the cooking, though Archie wasn't a terrible cook. Mostly he simply enjoyed sharing this alone time with his mother. They spoke very little but their was usually no need to. Fluttershy understood Archie in a way his father and brother never really did. For some time they simply enjoyed each others company as they prepared a great holiday feast. They sung carols together and shared some light banter. Archie it seems had inherited his mothers relaxed soft spoken demeanor though he was never meek.

"Is it ready yet!" Chaos whined from his resting place on the living room sofa. He lay draped upside down. His black and white mane brushing against the wood floor.

"Almost." Fluttershy responded patiently.

"You've been asking that same question over and over again for the last hour," Archie chided with notably less patience. "We'll tell you when it's ready!"

Chaos groaned, "But I'm hungry!"

Archie sighed irritably and rolled his eyes.

"Oh be nice," Fluttershy scolded with a slight smile.

A sudden knock came at the door.

"Chaos can you get that?" Archie called out.

"Can't, move, soooo, hungry…." He moaned as he reached an arm out half hardheartedly towards the door.

"Uhg," Archie grumbled as he poked his head out of the kitchen with wet hooves. "Where's dad?"

"He's in his room," Chaos replied, "He said he still had to finish wrapping his gifts."

Archie grumbled to himself as he dried his hooves on the apron he was wearing and headed over to the door in response to another set of knocking. "Coming!" he called out.

His frustration was replaced with surprise has he opened the door to find a stranger on their doorstep. It was a purple, earth pony, mare. It was snowing outside yet she wore overalls and a green t-shirt. Her sneakers where untied and she wore a propeller on her head. Her strangest feature however was her spiraling eyes. He had never seen anything like them.

"C-can I help you," He stuttered as he realized he had been standing silent in the doorway for an uncomfortably long time.

"Is this the Discord residence?" She asked tilting her head to peer into the house.

"I'm sorry," Archie responded as he realized what was going on. "If this is about property damages I'd be more than willing to cover the repairs. Please come back after Hearths Warming." with that he moved to close the door as his father paraded down the stairs behind him with a flourish. The earth pony mare stuck out a hoof to catch the door.

"Daddy!" She called out.


	2. Chapter 2

"ScrewBall!" Archie watched, mouth agate, as his father teleported to the door dropping gifts along the way. Now blocking his view of the mare Discord scooped her up into his arms and proceeded to drag her inside dancing about the living room with her.

"Daddy!" she cheered as she warped her hooves around his lanky neck.

"Oh my little ScrewBall, I thought I lost you!" Discord cried with childlike joy.

Archie looked on in utter confusion before turning to his brother. Chaos shrugged and mirrored Archie's confusion. Just then Fluttershy stepped in from the kitchen.

"What's all the commotion out here?" FlutterShy stopped dead when she saw the mare in Discords arms.

Discord beamed proudly down at his wife as she looked up at him with a shocked expression.

"Guess who came home for the holidays?" He chimed as ScrewBall clung to his neck smiling and giggling.

FlutterShy stammered for a moment.

"Go on guess!" Discord urged with excitement, knowing full and well FlutterShy didn't know the answer.

"Seriously dad what the hay is going on?" Archie said at last. He hated it when his father toyed with them like this.

"Yeah" Chaos chimed in. They all gathered around the draconequis and the pony he cradled. Discord smiled, he tried to speak but only managed to laugh, he cleared his throat and finally said.

"Boy's I want you to meet your big sister ScrewBall."

"Big sister." The words made Archie's head reel with questions. He rubbed his forehead with his hoof for a moment trying to make sense of it.

"ScrewBall," Discord announced, "I'd like you to meet your stepmother FlutterShy, and your little brothers, Chaos, and Anarchy."

"Aww they're soooo cute!" ScrewBall cooed as she leapt down to invade Archie's personal space. Archie recoiled instantly as he saw the strange mare rushing towards him. In a moment of fight or flight he summoned up a sturdy wall between himself and ScrewBall.

ScrewBall crashed into the wall but didn't seem fazed. "What no hug for your big sister Anarchy?"

"Uhm... Just Archie is fine," He stammered awkwardly. He was never much for physical affection, much less from strangers. His voice cracked a bit as he called out for help. "Mom!"

ScrewBall laughed aloud at the high squeak of Archie's distress call. Chaos quickly joined in mocking his brothers discomfort.

"Discord can I talk to you for a moment?" FlutterShy said with her tone of quiet sternness. The tone that usually meant somepony was in trouble.

Discord obliged and they took a few steps up the stairs away from the kids. FlutterShy could see ScrewBall and Chaos poking jeeringly at Archie's magical bubble.

"Discord is there something you need to tell me about?" FlutterShy interrogated.

Discord seemed confused by her apparent unhappiness but quickly seemed to process. "Oh no, no, dear you've got it all wrong," He assured coolly. He placed a paw on her cheek which she rejected.

"I don't care about that I just want to why you never told me you had a daughter!" FlutterShy snapped.

"You don't understand, I created her myself," He explained, "I made her out of cotton candy and liquorice."

"Candy and liquorice." FlutterShy repeated softly as she processed the statement.

"I made her years ago. When I escaped my imprisonment I made her along with all my other... modifications to Ponyille" Discord seemed a bit embarrassed as he recalled his former nature. It made have been over thirty years since his reformation but to an immortal being thirty years passed by in the blink of an eye. "She was supposed to be my partner in crime but after I was returned to stone I thought she was destroyed."

"Well obviously not," FlutterShy replied. Her frustration however quickly melted as she saw the pained look on her husbands face as he recalled the pain of loosing his precious creation. "Well for better or worse, she's here now." FlutterShy assured, lifting Discords face back to eye level. He smiled at her understanding.

FlutterShy looked back down at her still distressed younger son. "You two leave your brother alone," she called down defensively. Chaos backed off with a word of apology to his mother. ScrewBall, on the other hoof, made a mocking face while still out of FlutterShy's eye shot.

"Fine," She replied with sass.

FlutterShy didn't seem to pay much mind to her new stepdaughters bad attitude. She trotted back down the stairs to her son. "C'mon Archie lets get dinner served,"

Archie let down his shield spell and gladly returned to the kitchen with his mother.

Discord returned to his daughters side and embraced her once again. "My little abomination." He cooed. ScrewBall gladly hugged him back. Chaos who had gone back to his resting place on the couch was now watching ScrewBall and Discord from his upside down perspective. ScrewBall peeked open one eye to stare at him and smile mischievously. Chaos smiled back awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

After seeing this sign of acknowledgment, ScrewBall pointed to the kitchen where Archie had departed before drawing a hoof across her throat. Chaos who was seeing this upside down shrugged in confusion. ScrewBall rolled her eyes before repeating the motion. Once again Chaos merely gestured in silent confusion. Before ScrewBall could further confuse the the unwitting pegasus her father stood back up and her look of irritation instantly melted into a warm loving smile.

"What's for dinner Daddy?" She asked innocently.

"You'll have to ask your mother," Discord said with great pride.

"My mother huh?" ScrewBall replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner that evening was interesting to say the least. It all started off normal enough as the family sat down to a holiday feast. Chaos made some off comment and Archie ribbed him as per usual. FlutterShy scolded the boys for fighting though it was all in good fun.

"You should have seen the look on your face Archie," Chaos teased as he sat across the table next to their sister. "Screwy got you good."

Archie glanced nervously over at ScrewBall who sat quietly beside their father. Something about her made him uncomfortable but he couldn't quite put his hoof on it. "Yes, yes," He dismissed.

"You're just jealous, mom doesn't trust you in the kitchen." Archie rebutted as he took a sip of hot apple cider from his mug.

FlutterShy, who sat next to him, ran a gentle hoof through his long dark mane. "It's ok dear, there's no same in being afraid of strangers."

Chaos laughed aloud as Archie spat out a mouthful of cider, "I'm not afraid of her!" He protested.

"Oh really?" ScrewBall replied, "that's good to hear." There was an eerie challenge in her voice as she smiled at him from across the table. Her smile was strangely sinister and it sent shivers down Archie's spine. Something definitely wasn't right. Truthfully, he was afraid of her.

"Oh daddy," ScrewBall chirped as she hugged his arm, "Tell them about the time you took me to that baseball game."

Discord's eyes lit up as he eagerly regaled the tale. FlutterShy smiled at his enthusiasm but her smile slowly faded as the story unfolded. It began innocent enough, a tale of lighthearted mischief, but by the end of it FlutterShy was horrified. Ponies screaming and levels of carnage that would have endangered many lives.

Archie mirrored his mothers mortified expression while Chaos merely laughed and banged his hoof on the table.

"Oh man that is priceless," He cheered as he placed a hoof on ScrewBall's shoulder, "Dude mom never let's me do anything fun."

"Because that's not fun!" FlutterShy shouted as loud as she was ever known to.

Chaos recoiled into his seat as he looked back at her wide eyed.

"Discord I can't believe you would do such horrible things!"

Discord shuffled uncomfortably under his wife's gaze. Rubbing the back of his lanky neck self consciously he replied, "Well, this was before I got to know you," He looked back at FlutterShy who sat with her hooves crossed and her eyes menacing. "I was a different pony, er draconeques, thing..." He stammered before finally hanging his head in defeat.

"Well I thought it was funny," ScrewBall sassed as she took a sip from her drink.

FlutterShy shot her an angry look. ScrewBall did not reply. FlutterShy did not intimidate her but rather she seemed to be carefully picking her battles. Archie shuttered internally again as he saw the calculated look in her eyes.

"Well it's getting late," FlutterShy said at last. It was only ten but nopony argued. "Archie dear would you help me with the dishes?"

"Of course," Archie replied.

"Mama's boy," Chaos grumbled under his breath. Archie shot him a look and his brother merely rolled his eyes before sulking off to the bedroom.

Discord attempted to kiss his wife on the cheek but FlutterShy flinched slightly. Discord's eyes fell back as he slunk away from his wife.

As Archie proceeded to gather up leftovers he over heard ScrewBall speaking with Discord.

"Don't worry about her daddy," she soothed as she latched once more onto his arm. "She's just a stick in the mud pony."

"Go to bed," Discord replied. His tone was dead as he snapped his fingers and a door appeared by the stairs. The door opened to reveal a bedroom, the kind a young filly might have, full of stuffed animals and lamp that cast stars along the walls.

ScrewBall looked up at her father with surprise. "But daddy," She stammered.

"I said go to bed ScrewBall," Discord snapped. Looking confused and dejected she complied.

Archie watched as Discord headed upstairs.

"She worries me," Archie confessed. FlutterShy merely nodded.

After the dishes were done, and the leftovers put away, Archie retired to his old bedroom. Chaos was laying in his bed flipping through a girly mag. Archie rolled his eyes and sighed as he crawled into his old bed. It felt strange, sleeping in his old room again. Hours passed and Chaos had fallen asleep. Archie had been laying half wake for some time when he heard his parents arguing in the room next to his.

"FlutterShy please!" Discord pleaded, "just tell me what I did!"

"What you did!" FlutterShy replied, "How could you not know!"

"If this is about the baseball game that was over 30 years ago."

"This isn't about the game!" FlutterShy said with frustration.

"Then what?!" Discord pleaded. The room was silent a moment. Archie had to strain to hear what came next.

"Years ago I helped turn a monster to stone," FlutterShy replied softly. "Tonight, at dinner, I saw that monster," FlutterShy's eyes began to water as her husband reached out to scope her up in his arms.

"FlutterShy no..." Discord breathed.

"You scared me Discord," She choked.

"I love you FlutterShy," He soothed. "I'm not that monster anymore."

FlutterShy buried her face in her husbands chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "I know that," she said, "i know that better than anypony. Explain that to your daughter."


	4. Chapter 4

Archie laid awake in bed for some time contemplating his mothers words. It was almost surreal, thinking of the monster his father once was. Sure he had always known Discord to be mischievous but so was his brother, they were hardly evil. But once upon a time, many years before he was born, his father had been a tyrant. He had spread pain and chaos and ScrewBall had been a manifestation of that old malice.

The more he thought about it the more it worried him. He looked over to the gold pocket watch resting on his nightstand. He struggled against the urge he had to open it. Eventually his curiosity won out as he reached over to hold the watch in his hooves. For a moment he merely held it and traced his hooves along the engravings on it's case.

With a deep breath he opened the watch.

"Anarchy what troubles you," Came a soft familiar voice. A faint purple, luminescent mist lit up the face of the watch.

Archie had spoken to the watch many times now since it had come into his possession. Nopony else knew of the watches sentience, it was his greatest secret. Archie himself still did not know the watches origins however, the small device had shared secrets with him before. It knew things, many things.

"It's ScrewBall, my sister." Archie replied at last.

"Ah..." the watch mused, "She worries you does she? I'm not surprised." The watch continued, " She is a relic of your fathers tainted past."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Archie admitted.

"She isn't the first of her kind," The watch replied.

"Dad's created life before?" Archie replied curiously.

"Not exactly," the watch replied. "I will show you."

Before Archie could reply he began to feel light headed and dizzy. This faintness was familiar. He didn't fight it, instead he merely allowed himself to slip into a deep sleep like trance.

When awareness returned to him he found himself standing in a hallway of stars with many doors. He looked about a bit before his eyes rested on a familiar sight.

"Come with me Anarchy, I have something to show you," Anarchy saw a stallion much like himself standing outside one of the doors. This mirror of himself even wore his night clothes. The only difference was the ragged look in his doppelgangers eyes. The look of weariness unsettles him slightly but he had grown accustomed to it. Archie complied and walked over to the door his doppelganger now held open.

"After you," he said in his usual cool, hushed tone.

As Archie stepped through the door he was greeted be a bright light. When the light died he found himself standing in a dark mansion of sorts. Everything was black and gothic. Painting of disturbed and miserable faces lines the walls and made his stomach churn.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"The home of Dispair," The watch replied as he stood behind Archie. "Your uncle."

"My uncle?" Archie replied quizzically. He turned back to face the watch only to have his double hush him and point up to the stairs.

He turned to see a younger looking Discord emerge from one of the upstairs rooms. There was fury in his eyes as he held a black mare tight in his hands.

"I'm doing this for your own good!" He shrieked. A sudden blast of red light sent him flying off the balcony and down the parlor floor where Archie stood. Archie wanted to help him but a gentle hoof on his shoulder reminded him he was merely an observer.

He watched as Discord stood up on all fours, back arched high and lips drawn back in a terrifying snarl. Archie looked back up to the catwalk to see the black mare from before accompanied by a new creature. This creature was unlike anything he had seen. Emerging from the body of a spider was a bat like creature with black catlike paws emerging from it's chest. It had large black eyes and mandibles like an insect. It's mane was a ragged web of this black hair which hung in it's face.

The sight of this beast left Archie disturbed and filled him with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

"That my boy is Despair," The watch whispered in his ear. "I wouldn't stare to long if I were you," it advised.

"Chrysalis is my greatest creation!" The creature roared. Archie shifted his focus to the black mare once more who now coward behind her creator. Only now did he notice her truly disturbing appearance. She resembled an alicorn though rather insect like. Her flesh was riddles with holes and her blue mane was as dead and lifeless as Dispair's.

"Every second that thing lives it saps more and more of your life away!" Discord protested.

Dispair's hideous face was difficult to read as he seemed to ponder Discords words.

"We may be brothers Discord, you and I," Despair finally replied. "But I have no love for you. No creature ever will."

Archie stumbled back slightly as those cruel words struck him. His father had a brother once. He thought his own brother, the thought of hearing those words from his own brother cut him deeper than any knife.

"Despair was only one of Discord's five older brothers. The sons of Eris they were called." the watch explained.

"He never told me," Archie stammered.

"He would never," the watch replied. "his other brothers died well before he was born save for Despair. "

He saw the pain in his fathers eyes. Discord tried to hide it, he tried to mask his own anguish with anger.

"I have created a perfect creature of divine beauty." Despair explained. "She is the love of my life and I will gladly give my life to her, It pleases me to know that one day I shall freed of this horrible existence and in my place her beauty shall grace the world for ages to come."

"I don't understand," Archie said. "What happens to Despair.

"To create life means to give it way Anarchy," the watch explained. Suddenly the mansion vanished and in it's place stood Despair alone in the emptiness. "Despair gave his life to his creation,"

Archie watched in horror as Despair crumbled away into dust before his eyes.

"You father is not so unlike his brother, the sons of Eris were always a foolish lot." the watch sighed.

Archie spun around and placed frantic hoofs on the watches shoulders. "No that- that can't happen there has to be something I can do!"

"The longer ScrewBall lives the shorter your father does, only he can save himself now,"

Before Archie could ask anymore the dream began to melt away around him. He tried frantically to cling to the dream. To find an answer.

As he struggles about he began to feel more and more restricted, trapped. He opened his eyes to see his brother lying on the floor next to him. Chaos was bond tightly muzzled. His brothers eyes look frightened and pleading. In a panic Archie tried to displace the robes to no avail. His magic wouldn't respond to his will. He looked down to find himself bond tightly as well with a strangle brace about his neck. He felt as though he couldn't breath.

"So your awake now?" Came faint giggle.

Archie looked up to see ScrewBall standing over them. "Had to suppress your magic somehow," He gloated, "Couldn't have you escaping now could we?"


End file.
